"It's laughable, to be honest. It's absolute nonsense. Charles is under contract until 2012, and I told him on day one that he was a very important player."

N'Zogbia joined Newcastle in 2004, with the Magpies paying a nominal sum to Le Havre for their youth team player.

But the former France Under-21 international admits the time has come for a move away from the club in order to attract the attention of Les Bleus coach Raymond Domenech.

"I've been here for four years. It's a club who have allowed me to discover the France youth team, and I thank them for that, but at some point you have to know how to aim higher," he said.

"I've spoken to my bosses at the club. They know what my aims are and what I want to continue to progress. As soon as a big club knocks on the door with a good offer, I don't think they'll prevent me leaving.

"But while I'm waiting I'm continuing to train, without letting my head go down, because I am above all a professional."

And N'Zogbia, who plays primarily on the left, insists he is keen to stay in England - even if clubs from France's Ligue 1 were to make a bid to sign him.

"A return to France is not unforeseeable," he explained. "But personally I have always said that my priority is to remain in England.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.